Mage's Tower
The Mage's Tower was a mysterious tower standing on the edge of the Flooded Forest between the lands of the Vast and the Moonsea in north Faerûn, lying west of Kurth and at the end of a trail north from Tavilar. A map accompanying the ''Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting'' 2nd edition (revised) instead places the Mage's Tower to the south, in the Trollcrag Mountains. Structure The Mage's Tower was a lone tower some 70 feet (21 meters) high with a spired top. It was built of massive blocks of stone. There was no visible door, but it had three large, arched windows at the top. Interior Inside were only empty and dusty corridors and rooms, apparently uninhabited. However, the windows showed it was sometimes lit. Defenses The base of the tower was guarded by a stone golem. This attacked anyone who tried to touch or climb the walls, or who tried to levitate or fly within 40 feet (12 meters) of the tower. It kept attacking until trespassers were either dead or unmoving, or until they retreated to over 200 feet (70 meters) away. It left alone those went beyond this range. For those who made it to the windows, three enormous gargoyles flew out to assault them and chase them away. These gargoyles or their smaller kin patrolled the tower against anyone gaining access via tunneling or magic. There were also traps, with steps and sections of floor that flipped over to drop intruders into pit traps and other hazards. There were also magical spelltraps that transported people to the planes and left them in dangerous environments. Rumors The Mage's Tower was avoided by local people, and even local adventurers advised against exploring the place. Locals were unwilling to speak of it; those who did were always found dead shortly after. The master of the tower was unknown and a subject of mystery and much speculation. It was certain to be someone or something capable of magic. The majority of adventurers believed this master was in hiding somewhere inside the tower, along with all their possessions and treasure. One possibility was that he or she or it took the form of a creature, such as a lurker above, that could resemble the stone walls, or hid in rooms with entrances concealed by a mimic, intelligent and loyal to the master. These adventurers generally assumed the master to be a lich or demilich, but others thought that it could as easily be a living wizard or other powerful mage. Sages knowledgeable in the Vast presented a number of theories of their own: * The archmage Maskyr One-Eye, supposedly relocated from his tower in Maskyr's Eye. * An exiled mind flayer. * Other strange creatures, such as a penanggalan, slithering trackers, weredragons, or wind walkers. * Cunning dwarves who'd hired mages to defend the tower with illusions of monsters. One rumor claimed that Lord Lashan Aumersair of Scardale fled to the Mage's Tower when his brief Dalelands empire fell in the Year of the Worm, 1356 DR, and was still in hiding there by 1370 DR. Lieshann, a minstrel of Ordulin, told that the tower was an entrance to the lair or kingdom of a gold dragon or some other, even more powerful dragon. According to her, this dragon shapechanged into another form to enter and descend to the subterranean realm. However, those who'd managed to enter the tower called this story "bardish moonshine". Lieshann admitted she'd only seen the tower from a distance, but still sang of it regularly. Elminster, the sage of Shadowdale, once mentioned that the Mage Who Never Dies claimed the tower as part of his domain. Elminster also warned of the tower's spelltraps. Appendix Notes References Category:Towers Category:Locations in the Flooded Forest Category:Locations in the Vast Category:Locations on the Moonsea Category:Locations in North Faerûn Category:Locations in Faerûn Category:Locations on Toril Category:Locations